I'm stressed!
Stress today is a well-used word. We are all exposed to it from long working hours to meeting tight deadlines, to juggling careers and parenthood, to coping with relationship and financial problems.
Short-term stress is not necessarily harmful and is actually important to help us deal with immediate problems. Stress causes the adrenal glands to secrete the ‘fight or flight’ hormones - adrenaline, noradrenalin and cortisol. In the days when we were hunter-gathers the fight or flight reaction was vital for enabling us to flee dangerous situations whilst out hunting.
Our modern stresses are obviously very different. Fast paced lives mean that many people are now under long-term stress, which can be damaging for our health.
How stress can lead to fat around your middle:
In a stressful situation, adrenaline is released to keep us focused, while cortisol is released to increase levels of sugar and fat in the bloodstream to give us energy. If you don’t do something physical to use up this energy supply, then the sugar and fat is re-deposited as fat around your middle area. This fat supply is deposited around your middle area as this is the region closest to your liver where it can be most quickly converted back into energy during the next stressful event.
Once the stress has passed, your adrenaline levels return to normal, however your cortisol levels may remain high for longer (days rather than hours) which increases your appetite for fatty and sugary foods. This is because your body thinks it needs to refuel - centuries ago when you had spent lots of energy fighting or running from danger, you would have needed the extra food. But if the reason for your stress has been meeting a tight deadline at work and spending hours sedentary at a computer, your body does not need the extra calories.
The combination of sugar and fat being re-deposited around the middle area, and eating fatty, sugary foods, means that many people who are under long-term stress end up with an apple shaped body. This apple shape can put you at higher risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s and diabetes. Fat around the hips and thighs, i.e. a pear shape, does not appear to put you at the same level of risk. High cortisol levels can also make us look older. Cortisol can increase oxidative stress which damages our cells leading to premature wrinkling of the skin.
A balancing act:
Although high cortisol levels can be damaging, we absolutely need cortisol to survive. Cortisol plays a vital role in balancing blood sugar levels, it is required for immunity and heart health, it helps us to cope with stress, and it gives us our get up and go. Prolonged stress can cause the adrenals to become fatigued and can drastically lower the output of cortisol. Just as high cortisol levels can cause problems so can low cortisol levels. When cortisol levels are low, sleep, mood, concentration and appetite are often disrupted. Low cortisol can make us more vulnerable to illness, behavioural and emotional problems, and increases the demand on the heart, muscles, digestive and immune systems. As with many things in nature, cortisol levels need to be kept in balance for optimum health.
Different people deal with stress in different ways. What one person might perceive as a major stressor, another might thrive on. While it is unrealistic to expect to live a life free from stress (and life would be dull without it), there are ways we can manage stress through diet and lifestyle to ensure it does not affect our wellbeing.
Eating more whole foods and less processed foods. Packaged and convenience foods often have higher levels of fats, salt and sugar and contain many obscure ingredients that wouldn’t be found in the kitchen cupboard. They may prove to be convenient, but they should not form part of your everyday eating and there are many healthy nutritious foods that are very quick and simple to prepare.
Exercise regularly, even if it means getting off the bus or tube a stop earlier and walking the extra distance, or do sit-ups and press-ups at home – aim for 30 minutes of exercise 5 times a week.
Drink plenty of water and herbal teas – ditch the carbonated drinks and coffee.
Lavender is a calming smell – spray a little lavender oil on your pillow before you go to bed.
Have a warm bath in the evening, with Epsom salts – the magnesium in Epsom salts are calming.
Deep breathing – practice taking slow deep breathes and release slowly, it helps to slow your body down and calm the mind.
Eat nutritious foods containing B vitamins, vitamin C, zinc, calcium and magnesium – vital nutrients for your adrenals. Include the following in your diet - dark green leafy vegetables, peppers, tomatoes, berries, apples, citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, wholegrains (oats, brown rice, rye, etc.), nuts, seeds, pulses, eggs and fish.
Make sure you get your blood sugar levels under control – if you are always reaching for something sweet as soon as you feel stressed or to get through an afternoon slump, it is time to take action!
